Image-pickup apparatus and method for reading accumulated signal changes through transfer lines

1. An image-pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of photodetection portions arrayed two-dimensionally on a predetermined plane; a plurality of vertical transfer lines which are regions respectively extending adjacent to a plurality of vertical lines defined by strings of vertical components arranged along a vertical direction out of said plurality of photodetection portions and on which electrode strings for establishing potential well transferring signal charges accumulated in said plurality of photodetection portions are respectively provided; a horizontal transfer line which is a region provided along a plurality of horizontal lines defined by one row or two or more rows of horizontal components arranged along a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction out of said plurality of photodetection portions; a plurality of gate structures provided adjacent to and corresponding to said plurality of photodetection portions, said plurality of gate structures transferring said signal charges accumulated in said plurality of photodetection portions; and a vertical driving control system connected to said plurality of vertical transfer lines and said plurality of gate structures, said vertical driving controlling said plurality of gate structures corresponding to said horizontal components defining a selected one of said plurality of horizontal lines and establishing said potential wells, which have a length not shorter than a width of each of said plurality of photodetection potions in the vertical direction, into said plurality of vertical transfer lines, whereby successively moving said potential wells to output ends of said plurality of vertical transfer lines over a plurality of horizontal scan periods in the vertical direction.

2. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, said vertical driving control system simultaneously selects from said electrode string a first electrode group for establishing one of said potential wells which transfers said signal charges accumulated in one of said horizontal components defining a first horizontal line selected from said plurality of horizontal lines and a second electrode group for establishing one of said potential wells which transfers said signal charges accumulated in one of said horizontal components defining a second horizontal line different from said first horizontal line.

3. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said vertical driving control system comprises: a first shift register having at least output ports the number of which is equal to the number of said vertical components defining each of said plurality of vertical lines and included in said plurality of photodetection portions, said first shift register being adapted for selecting ones of said gate structures, said selected ones of said gate structures corresponding to said horizontal components defining a selected one of said plurality of horizontal lines; a second shift register having at least output ports the number of which is smaller than the number of said vertical components defining each of said plurality of vertical lines and included in said plurality of photodetection portions, said second shift register being adapted for generating timing of movement of said potential wells respectively established in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines; and a circuit for generating voltages of mutually different levels applied at predetermined timing to said transfer electrodes defining said electrode string provided on each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines.

4. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said vertical driving control system controls said plurality of gate structures so that during a period in which said signal charges accumulated in said horizontal components defining a selected one of said horizontal lines are transferred in the vertical direction in said plurality of vertical transfer lines respectively adjacent to said horizontal components, different signal charges accumulated in said horizontal components defining a horizontal line adjacent to said selected horizontal line are transferred to each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines.

5. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a first output electrode provided so as to cover an output end of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines adjacent to said horizontal transfer line and cover a part of said horizontal transfer line, wherein said vertical driving control system applies a predetermined voltage to said first output electrode during a horizontal blanking interval in which a transfer operation for signal charge is interrupted in said horizontal transfer line and at timing when said potential wells containing said signal charges reach said output end of each of said plurality of vertical transfer line, so that said signal charges are transferred to said horizontal transfer line.

6. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of storage areas provided so as to respectively correspond to said plurality of vertical transfer lines, each of said plurality of storage areas being adapted for storing said signal charges, which have been transferred in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, between said horizontal transfer line and each of said plurality of vertical transfer line; a first electrode covering a part of said horizontal transfer line and a part of each of said plurality of storage areas; and a second output electrode covering a part of each of said plurality of storage areas and an output end of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, wherein said vertical driving control system applies a predetermined voltage to said first electrode at timing when said potential wells containing said signal charges reach said output end of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines and said vertical driving control system applies a predetermined voltage to said second output electrode during a horizontal blanking interval in which a transfer operation for signal charge is interrupted in said horizontal transfer line.

7. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said vertical driving control system simultaneously selects a first electrode group for establishing a main potential well and a second electrode group for establishing an auxiliary potential well from said electrode string provided on each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines so that in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines at a certain instance said main potential well for transferring said signal charges and said auxiliary potential well for transferring leak components of said signal charges are established in an adjacent relation along the vertical direction.

8. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said vertical driving control system controls application of voltage to said electrode string provided on each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines so that said signal charges in said main potential well which have been moved through each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines and said leak components of said signal charges collected by said auxiliary potential well both are outputted onto said horizontal transfer line.

9. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of discharge areas, each being a region provided between an output end of each of said vertical lines and said horizontal transfer line and each being adapted for sweeping undesired charges, which have been transferred in each of said plurality of vertical transfer line, away thereinto; and a third output electrode covering a part of each of said plurality of discharge areas and a part of each of said plurality of vertical transfer line corresponding thereto, wherein said vertical driving control system controls associated ones of said gate structures so that after a lapse of a predetermined time from the time when undesired charges accumulated in each of said horizontal components of a selected one of said horizontal lines are transferred to each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines adjacent to said horizontal components, said signal charges accumulated in each of said horizontal components are transferred to each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines adjacent to said horizontal components, and for establishing one of said potential wells to which said signal charges in each of said horizontal components are transferred, in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, said vertical driving control system applies a predetermined voltage to said selected electrode groups for establishing said one of said potential wells, and wherein for transferring said undesired charges from each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines to an associated one of said discharge areas, said vertical driving control system applies a predetermined voltage to said third output electrode at timing when in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines associated one of said potential wells containing said undesired charges reach a portion adjacent to said associated discharge area.

10. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when one of said plurality of horizontal lines is defined by a plurality of rows of said horizontal components arranged along the horizontal direction, said vertical driving control system selects a first electrode group for a first operation and a second electrode group for a second operation different therefrom out of said electrode string provided on each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines so that a shift of a predetermined distance in the vertical direction is given to positions where said potential wells for transferring said signal charges accumulated in said horizontal components of said defined one of said plurality of horizontal lines in the vertical direction are successively formed in the first operation for reading an odd field, with respect to positions in the second operation for reading an even field.

11. A driving method of image-pickup apparatus comprising: a step of preparing the image-pickup apparatus according to claim 1 ; a step of establishing said potential wells each having a length not shorter than a width of each of said plurality of horizontal lines in the vertical direction, in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines and moving said potential wells along the vertical direction; and a step of, in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, successively selecting one of said horizontal components to be objects, according to a reading order of said plurality of horizontal lines, and transferring said signal charges in said selected one of said horizontal components to said vacant potential well at timing when a vacant potential well is established in a portion adjacent to said selected one of said horizontal components.

12. The driving method according to claim 11 , wherein in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, one potential well or two or more potential wells each containing said signal charges are moved from a position where said signal charges were transferred through an associated one of said gate structures, to an output end of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines over a plurality of horizontal scan periods, each being a period in which said signal charges are transferred in said horizontal transfer line, or over a plurality of horizontal blanking intervals, each being a period in which the transfer operation for signal charge is interrupted in said horizontal transfer line.

13. The driving method according to claim 11 , wherein said potential wells each containing said signal charges are established in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines at predetermined timing.

14. The driving method according to claim 11 , wherein in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, during a period in which said signal charges in one of said horizontal components defining a selected one of said horizontal lines are transferred in the vertical direction, different signal charges in one of said horizontal components defining a different horizontal line to be read next is transferred to one of said potential wells established in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines.

15. The driving method according to claim 11 , wherein in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, said signal charges in one of said potential wells, which have been moved to an output end of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, are transferred to said horizontal transfer line during a horizontal blanking interval in which the transfer operation for signal charge is interrupted in said horizontal transfer line.

16. The driving method according to claim 11 , further comprising: a step of, in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, temporarily withdrawing said signal charges in one of said potential wells, which have been moved to an output end of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines; and a step of outputting said temporarily withdrawn signal charges, to said horizontal transfer line after arrival of a horizontal blanking interval in which a transfer operation for signal charge is interrupted in said horizontal transfer line.

17. The driving method according to claim 11 , wherein in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines at a certain instance, a main potential well for transferring said signal charges and an auxiliary potential well for transferring leak components of said signal charges are established in an adjacent relation along the vertical direction.

18. The driving method according to claim 17 , wherein said signal charges in said main potential well and said leak components of said signal charges collected by said auxiliary potential well, both having been transferred through each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, are outputted onto said horizontal transfer line.

19. The driving method according to claim 11 , further comprising: a step of, in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, transferring said signal charges accumulated in one of said horizontal components defining a selected one of said horizontal lines to adjacent one of said plurality of vertical transfer lines after a lapse of a predetermined time from a time when undesired charges accumulated in said one of said horizontal components are transferred into said adjacent one of said plurality of vertical transfer line; and a step of discharging said undesired charges in one of said potential wells having been moved to a predetermined portion of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, to outside of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines.

20. The driving method according to claim 11 , wherein when one of said plurality of horizontal lines is defined by a plurality of rows of said horizontal components arranged along the horizontal direction, a shift of a predetermined distance in the vertical direction is given to positions where said potential wells for transferring said signal charges accumulated in said horizontal components of said defined one of said plurality of horizontal lines in the vertical direction are successively established in a first operation for reading an odd field, with respect to positions in a second operation for reading an even field.

21. An image-pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of photodetection portions arrayed two-dimensionally on a predetermined plane; a plurality of vertical transfer lines which are regions respectively extending adjacent to a plurality of vertical lines defined by strings of vertical components arranged along a vertical direction out of said plurality of photodetection portions and on which electrode strings for establishing potential wells for transferring signal charges accumulated in said plurality of photodetection portions are respectively provided; a plurality of gate structures provided adjacent to and corresponding to said plurality of photodetection portions, said plurality of gate structures transferring said signal charges accumulated in said plurality of photodetection portions; a vertical driving control system connected to said plurality of vertical transfer lines, said vertical driving control system controlling said gate structures respectively corresponding to horizontal components defining selected ones of a plurality of horizontal lines, which are selected on the basis of reading sections of horizontal lines spaced from each other at a predetermined distance out of said plurality of said horizontal lines and define each of said horizontal lines spaced from each other, and establishing said potential wells each having a length not shorter than a width of each of said plurality of photodetection portions in the vertical direction, whereby successively moving said potential wells to output ends of said plurality of vertical transfer lines over a plurality of horizontal scan periods in the vertical direction; a horizontal transfer line which is a region provided along said plurality of horizontal lines, said horizontal transfer line successively transferring said signal charges, which have been transferred through said plurality of vertical transfer lines, along the horizontal direction; and a pixel rearranging section connected to said horizontal transfer line, said pixel rearranging section successively capturing outputs from said horizontal transfer line and rearranging the outputs according to an original sequence of said horizontal lines, whereby generating image signals of a frame unit or a field unit.

22. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said vertical driving control system controls said gate structures so that said signal charges in said horizontal components defining said selected ones of said plurality of horizontal lines are transferred to said plurality of vertical transfer lines respectively adjacent to said horizontal components.

23. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 21 , further comprising a first output electrode provided so as to cover an output end of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines adjacent to said horizontal transfer line and cover a part of said horizontal transfer line, wherein said vertical driving control system applies a predetermined voltage to said first output electrode during a horizontal blanking interval in which a transfer operation for signal charge is interrupted in said horizontal transfer line and at timing when said potential wells containing said signal charges reach said output end of each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, so that said signal charges are transferred to said horizontal transfer line.

24. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said vertical driving control system simultaneously selects a first electrode group for establishing at least a main potential well and a second electrode group for establishing an auxiliary potential well from said electrode string provided on each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines so that in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines at a certain instance said main potential well for transferring said signal charges and said auxiliary potential well for transferring leak components of said signal charges are established in an adjacent relation along the vertical direction.

25. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein said vertical driving control system controls application of voltage to said electrode string provided on each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines so that said signal charges in said main potential well having been moved through each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines and said leak components of said signal charges collected by said auxiliary potential well are added and outputted onto said horizontal transfer line.

26. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 21 , further comprising: a plurality of discharge areas, each being a region provided between an output end of each of said plurality of vertical lines and said horizontal transfer line and each being adapted for sweeping undesired charges, which have been transferred in each of said plurality of vertical transfer line, away thereinto; and a third output electrode covering a part of each of said plurality of discharge areas and a part of each of said plurality of vertical transfer line corresponding thereto, wherein said vertical driving control system controls associated ones of said gate structures so that after a lapse of a predetermined time from the time when undesired charges accumulated in said horizontal components of said selected ones of said plurality of horizontal lines is transferred to each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines adjacent to said horizontal components, said signal charges accumulated in each of said horizontal components are transferred to each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines adjacent to said horizontal components, and for establishing one of said potential wells to which said signal charges in each of said horizontal components are transferred, in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines, said vertical driving control system applies a predetermined voltage to an associated one of said plurality of electrode groups for establishing said one of said potential wells, and wherein for transferring said undesired charges from each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines to an associated one of said discharge areas, said vertical driving control system applies a predetermined voltage to said third output electrode at timing when in each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines said one of said potential wells containing said undesired charges reaches a portion adjacent to said associated discharge area.

27. The image-pickup apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein when one of said plurality of horizontal lines are defined by a plurality of rows of said horizontal components arranged adjacent to each other along the horizontal direction, said vertical driving control system selects a first electrode group for a first operation and a second electrode group for a second operation different therefrom out of said electrode string provided on each of said plurality of vertical transfer lines so that a shift of a predetermined distance in the vertical direction is given to positions where said potential wells for transferring said signal charges accumulated in said horizontal components of said defined one of said plurality of horizontal lines in the vertical direction are successively formed in the first operation for reading an odd field, with respect to positions in the second operation for reading an even field.